660,000 Sign Liability Initiative

SACRAMENTO — Proponents of an initiative to reduce the soaring financial liability of local governments in personal injury settlements said today that they have submitted about 660,000 signatures, well above the number necessary, to qualify the measure for the June, 1986, ballot.

Passage of the initiative would limit the financial liability of cities and counties in such settlements to a share of the responsibility as determined by the court. Cities and counties can at present be held liable for up to 100% of an award even if they are only marginally responsible for an accident.